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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24997399">another chess game</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/eulogies/pseuds/eulogies'>eulogies</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Falsettos - Lapine/Finn, Falsettos - Lapine/Finn (Broadway Cast) RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bittersweet, Chess, M/M, Mostly Fluff, act two era, hospital era, i listened to the workshop again, just cute boys being sweet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:56:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,016</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24997399</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/eulogies/pseuds/eulogies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“i’ve won. five to none,” whizzer stated after a moment, cocking his head to the side as he reset the chessboard.</p><p>he nodded. “that’s the score.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Whizzer Brown/Marvin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>another chess game</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The pair sat on the hospital bed, directly across from one another; Whizzer against a mound of pillows and blankets, and Marvin against the footboard. A chessboard sat between them. They hadn’t played, really, since the first split. It carried bad thoughts, thoughts of a time when things weren’t as good as they could have been - weren’t as good as they </span>
  <em>
    <span>should </span>
  </em>
  <span>have been. Now, things were… Well, really, it was hard to put a label on things. Between them, between only Marvin and Whizzer, things were great. They got along more often than they didn’t, they hugged and kissed and truly loved. Things were what they should’ve been. Their environment, the world surrounding them, however, was less than desirable. Whizzer was sick, Whizzer was </span>
  <em>
    <span>dying, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and there was nothing that could be done other than wait. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was Whizzer’s idea. Jason had accidentally left his chessboard behind from the last time he visited with his mother and Mendel, and the air had been far too somber. “Let’s play,” he’d suggested, his gaze falling onto the board, before it rested back on his boyfriend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Play chess?” Marvin questioned. Although the tone in his voice displayed nervousness and unvoiced anxieties, it seemed to fade away with his boyfriend’s next words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What else?” he asked, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “I never can beat Jason, unless he lets me. I bet I can beat you now. Come on, let’s play.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So they played. Whizzer insisted they start over a few different times, but Marvin always chuckled and allowed it. The bad memories were still there, the memories of when, just a little over two years ago, the game of chess had made him mad enough to kick his lover out. Back when they were always at each other’s throats, constantly arguing and fighting and mad. He reminded himself that it wasn’t like that, now. That he’d gotten over himself, that he’d bettered himself and created a version of himself that he wanted to be. A version of himself that Whizzer genuinely loved. His eyes raised from the board, staring at his lover. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even sick, he was beautiful. Pale, skinny, frail, bruised – but beautiful. Sick, but kicking, and remaining as positive as he could while he did it. He watched the smile on his lover’s face, the way his brown eyes still lit up. Neither were the same as they were just months ago, but Marvin loved them just as much. Loved </span>
  <em>
    <span>him </span>
  </em>
  <span>just as much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His lover broke the silence, suddenly making eye contact with him. “Can I cheat?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm? Oh, sure. I’m too completely overwhelmed by your–”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He caught himself, shaking his head and gesturing to the board. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Game</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Your game. Just play.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whizzer smiled at him for a moment, before nodding. “I’m going to cheat,” he said, this time not as a question. “Close your eyes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let out a short laugh, but closed his eyes. He heard Whizzer mumbling and murmuring to himself, heard the chess pieces being moved around. Marvin almost wanted to peak open an eye, just to watch his lover, but he kept them closed as asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay! Open up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And he did. Marvin only had a few moves to make of his own, now, and Whizzer would win regardless. He glanced across to his lover, who gestured to the board while looking </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>proud of himself, before making his move. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whizzer made his. “I just won,” he stated, in a gloat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did,” Marvin nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“Easy!” he leaned in, teasingly, his smile somehow growing ever wider. Marvin couldn’t even complain, as seeing Whizzer genuinely happy like this wasn’t a constant affair any more. “Winning is everything</span> <span>to me.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marvin hummed, his eyes scanning over his lover. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Nothing </span>
  </em>
  <span>is everything to me,” he said in response. A pause. “Except you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He watched as his lover’s expression changed - from one of pride and gloating to one of surprise. As expected, as so in character for him, Whizzer didn’t respond to it but Marvin knew it touched him regardless. “Play again,” he said instead, resetting the board. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They did. They played again, and again, and again. Marvin always closed his eyes or conveniently got distracted by something out the window. Whizzer cheated and won. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve won. Five to none,” Whizzer stated after a moment, cocking his head to the side as he reset the board. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded. “That’s the score.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s play again,” he said. He looked up at Marvin, right as he was about to close his eyes to allow for cheating. “For real.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For real?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whizzer nodded. “I read a book once, on how to strategize to win. I’ll still win, but I don’t want it to be by default.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marvin watched him. “Really?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They played. For real, this time. No eyes closed, no cheating. Marvin, against a possibly better judgement, didn’t go easy on his lover either. He always lost against his son, </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>did, but when he played as well as he could, the games went on for quite a while. Marvin wasn’t bad at chess. Whizzer used to be, but—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Checkmate.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marvin looked from the board up to Whizzer. “How?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whizzer laughed, probably due to the bewildered expression on his face. “Luck?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is there a problem?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No– No, no problem,” Marvin shook his head quickly. It wasn’t anger that was seeping up inside of him, but it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>something.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Something he couldn’t place a name on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whizzer moved the chessboard to the side table, opening his arms for his lover. “Winning,” he started again, with a bit of finality, “is everything to me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marvin shifted from the end of the bed up to the headboard, into Whizzer’s arms. Whizzer held him, and Marvin held him, too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Love. Adoration. Pride. That’s what had seeped up inside him when he’d watched Whizzer -</span>
  <em>
    <span> his </span>
  </em>
  <span>Whizzer - win. That’s what continued to grow inside him as they laid together, arms entangled, face to face. It was silent. Marvin almost didn’t want to break it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing is everything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whizzer shook his head, smiling, and shut him up with a kiss. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i wrote this immediately after waking up so i hope it’s decent lmao</p><p>reminder that the manny will not be televised, please go sign petitions </p><p>i hope you enjoyed this! let me know what you think :) </p><p>ily all, take care of yourselves!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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